The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1887-06-09

uaS cNtHlilS lul lllc putiuSc VI uISCuSSiuS
the advisability of making an attempt to
secure an extension of the Illinois Central
railroad from LcMars to Canton.
Perhaps some day the people of Cam
ton will awaken to a realizing sense of
their danger-and it will be too late Tor
repentance. We are now talking rail
road. The Northwestern is on the south
and southwest; the Burlington on tho
north and east; the Duluth will soon be
at the north, anG in all probability the
Burlington and Northern and the Him
ois Central will soon cut us off on the
east and southeast. The other day the
division superintendent OF the Illinois
Central stepped off at the junction depot
in this city and cast critical glance over
the beautiful location of Canton and the
waving fields of grain in the distance.
Mayor Thorson was present and immedl
ately interviewed the gentleman as to the
intentions of his company in regard to
building into Dakota this season. The
gentleman assured Mr. Thorson that the
Illinois Central would haul passengers
and freight into Dakota before another
Christmas day, but had decided on no
particular route. Mayor Thorson sug-
gestcd that they run Their line from lie
Mars to Canton and thence to any point
they pleased. Superintendent Gilias
seemed to consider this short-line route
to the territory as more feasible than the
Cherokee Sioux Falls connection, and
suggested that the citizens of Canton sub.
NIT profile of the route at the direct
or's meeting of the Illinois Central on
the 18th inst At an informal meeting of
few business men of the city held Sat-
urday evening it was agreed to raise
sum sufficient to defray the expenses Of
the survey and to send committee into
Chicago, on the nth inst. The direct
ors of the Calliopc, Burlington and
Northern offered to pay share of the
expense in securing this profile, and they
were directed to proceed immediately at
the work. An additional torce was Sc
embarrassing OF ten men-and Mon
day morning the surveyors of the Cal
liopc commenced running the proposed
line. The expense was figured at about
$500, of which Canton was asked to raise
5000. The subscription list was headed
by r. II. Hichtorn, Thos. Thorson and
G. A. Bedford, for SIS each, and there
it stoppcd-a disgrace to Canton and II
virtual lay down on the part of its bust
ness men.
The Illinois Central will be built into
Dakota this summer. 1t will also run
within fifteen or twenty miles Of Canton.
We can give them the short-linc route,
the better gateway through the foot hills
into the Sioux valley and an unoccupied
outlet into the territory beyond. A line
by way Of Calliopc to Canton would also
save the Central people twenty or thirty
miles of construction in their proposed
Yankton line, and would, in fact, be far
morc feasible than the Cherokee Doom
Sioux Falls extension. For 5000 Canton
could get the ear of the Illinois Central
people, and possibly induce them through
way Of a bonus and a combination with
the Calliopc and Northern to build into
this city. And for $300-or some other
reason just as Hat-Canton lies down.
Canton will lie down so flat some day
that you can't find her on the map. In
short, Canton is a-dandy.
This talk about the Illinois Central is
not all wind. Neither are there any Can
ton people personally interested in tho
deal. No red flag in the form of Ed Car
penter or j. W. Taylor is Haunted to the
breeze, but, on the contrary, the Centra
project was talked up and advanced by
people who have been opposed to the
Carpenter Taylor deal. Those who arc
skeptical upon the question of the early
construction of the Central into the terri
tory will do well to read the following
from the Dubuque Herald of the 5tl
inst.
1t seems that the Illinois Central rail.
road company, now that it has commenc
ed building extensions to its present
lines, or entire new roads, is to keep it W
for some time to come. 1t is stated OF
good authority that the company nov
contemplates the construction of abou
300 miles more Of new road, most o
which will be in Iowa. This is dividct
into three different pieces, the prelimi
nary survey of which is to be made forth
with. One of these lines will probably
be built from LeMars to Yankton. Thi
will be surveyed at once
The line from Cherokee, northwest t
Sioux Falls, is said to be eighty one miles
long. a third line is designed to rur
west from Usage, Iowa, on the Central
to Mlnnesota-to connect with the lin,
from Cherokee to Sioux Falls at or nea
Primghar. The line from Usage west i
about 1875 miles long.
An official Of the road says that tn
LeMars- Yankton line and the Cherokee
Sioux Falls line will probably be bull
this year.
1t looks very much as though the III
inois Central people intended to run
road into the Black Hills country befor,
they get through with it, as to extent
their line simply to Yankton for the busi
ness that would come from there does no
seem probable, although Yankton is
good place to stop at for year or 50
When the great Sioux Indian rcserva
ton is opened by congress next year, a
it probably will be, the Illinois Centra
will likely be seen steering Tor the Blao
Hills.